Worldwide tributes are paid to renowned Dylan photographer

John, who lived in Glengormley, died suddenly while on holiday in Norway. He was 53 years old.

John had been a fan of Bob Dylan all his adult life after first seeing the legendary singer in concert in Earls Court in 1978 at the age of 19.

Six years later in 1984 he took a camera along to another concert and from there decided to follow his musical hero across the world taking pictures of him at every opportunity.

John travelled to every corner of the globe including China, America and Russia, taking in over 300 Bob Dylan concerts.Throughout the years he captured thousands of images of the icon and despite technological evolutions in photography he spurned the move to digital, using only film and never a flash.

Last year John told the Times there was an element of luck in getting just the right picture, but he preferred the reality of the images that film produced and the memories they gave him.

John published four books and exhibited his work at the Edinburgh Festival. His images have also been used in various magazines, fanzines and television documentaries.

He is believed to have captured Dylan on more occasions than any other photographer and one of his pictures was even selected by the singer to feature on a tour poster.

It is also claimed that Dylan has been informed of John’s passing.

Family and friends including his mother Dorothy, gathered in Templepatrick Presbyterian Church for John’s funeral service before he was laid to rest at Mallusk Cemetery.

On Bob Dylan fan site, ‘Expecting Rain’, tributes have been paid to John and condolences expressed to all who knew him.

Gareth Galbriath from Belfast said: “I’d meet up with John regularly for a beer when he was home in Belfast from Italy.

“He was a great guy and had about a thousand Dylan stories, most of them side-splittingly hilarious. He was an excellent photographer, but was just as good a storyteller, and one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life. I think John would find it appropriate that when it was time to go, he was with people he loved and that he’d just got to see some Dylan shows. He’ll be greatly missed by all who knew him.”

Another contributor to the site added: “One of my favourite visual chroniclers of Bob Dylan. I’m so sorry to hear he’s left us. We’re fortunate that his work will always live on.”